Thursday, September 03, 2015

In gratitude for good words about Finding Livelihood: the ongoing work and faith conversation

More good words about Finding Livelihood went out over digital space in the last couple weeks. It's not easy for books published by small presses and written by small writers to make their way in the world, and I'm so grateful when somebody spots mine and gives it a shout-out.

David Clark reviewed it for Englewood Review of Books. You can read his review here. If you're not familiar with this book review website, it could be worth your while to subscribe to their weekly email or visit the site from time to time. As they describe themselves: "We review books that we believe are valuable resources for the people of God, as we follow the mission of God: i.e., the reconciliation of all things. The books we review are not necessarily books from the 'Christian market,' and most of the books that we review will not be stocked in your local Christian bookstore. Our friend, Shane Claiborne, likes to say that 'Another World is Possible,' and indeed we hope that the books we review point toward a new world that is characterized by the justice and shalom of God."

A new podcast, called The Sectarian Review, aired last week on the Christian Humanist Network. Its first episode was on vocation. Within that rich hour-and-twenty-minutes episode, Allison Backous Troy, in conversation with her colleagues, spent a few minutes talking about Finding Livelihood. (I think she used the word "magnificent," which pleased me greatly.) She also spoke eloquently about the fallacy of balance, about the longing for a unified life, how things change when you have a child and bills to pay, the difficulties of adjunct teaching and other pieced together work, and so on. Here's an outline of that episode and you can listen to it here.

And finally, the Satellite Sisters. I'm a big fan of these five sisters. Not only because they are the aunts of one of my lovely daughters-in-law. Not only because they are as charming in person as they are on their show. And not only because they mentioned my book in this week's podcast. But also because their conversations are smart and witty and have a way of throwing a net of friendship and sisterhood over all their listeners. Take a listen to this episode in which the sisters explain Stephen Hawking's latest black hole theory using an analogy of socks in the laundry, tackle and solve the problem of student loan debt, demonstrate the application of Post-It notes for conversational use, and yes, review my book.

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In gratitude for good words about Finding Livelihood: the ongoing work and faith conversation

More good words about Finding Livelihood went out over digital space in the last couple weeks. It's not easy for books published by small presses and written by small writers to make their way in the world, and I'm so grateful when somebody spots mine and gives it a shout-out.

David Clark reviewed it for Englewood Review of Books. You can read his review here. If you're not familiar with this book review website, it could be worth your while to subscribe to their weekly email or visit the site from time to time. As they describe themselves: "We review books that we believe are valuable resources for the people of God, as we follow the mission of God: i.e., the reconciliation of all things. The books we review are not necessarily books from the 'Christian market,' and most of the books that we review will not be stocked in your local Christian bookstore. Our friend, Shane Claiborne, likes to say that 'Another World is Possible,' and indeed we hope that the books we review point toward a new world that is characterized by the justice and shalom of God."

A new podcast, called The Sectarian Review, aired last week on the Christian Humanist Network. Its first episode was on vocation. Within that rich hour-and-twenty-minutes episode, Allison Backous Troy, in conversation with her colleagues, spent a few minutes talking about Finding Livelihood. (I think she used the word "magnificent," which pleased me greatly.) She also spoke eloquently about the fallacy of balance, about the longing for a unified life, how things change when you have a child and bills to pay, the difficulties of adjunct teaching and other pieced together work, and so on. Here's an outline of that episode and you can listen to it here.

And finally, the Satellite Sisters. I'm a big fan of these five sisters. Not only because they are the aunts of one of my lovely daughters-in-law. Not only because they are as charming in person as they are on their show. And not only because they mentioned my book in this week's podcast. But also because their conversations are smart and witty and have a way of throwing a net of friendship and sisterhood over all their listeners. Take a listen to this episode in which the sisters explain Stephen Hawking's latest black hole theory using an analogy of socks in the laundry, tackle and solve the problem of student loan debt, demonstrate the application of Post-It notes for conversational use, and yes, review my book.

“Far from my high school daydreams about the future, I am on a search for daily meaning as well as for daily bread, for living rather than dying. I want to cast my net on the side of astonishment.... I want to find God at work in me and through me. I want livelihood.

Livelihood: the word gathers up and bundles together the simultaneous longings for meaning, satisfaction, and provision. In the fullest sense of the word, livelihood means the way of one’s life; it means the sustenance to make that way possible; it means both body and soul are fully alive thanks to what has been earned or received by grace. On one level we make our livelihood; on another level we keep our eyes open and find it.”

–Nancy J. Nordenson, Finding Livelihood: A Progress of Work and Leisure (Kalos Press)

By day I'm a medical writer. After hours I do another kind of work. Creative writing, spiritual writing, essaying. This blog arises from those after hours. I write about work/vocation, meaning, hope, imagination, faith, science, creativity/writing, books, and anything else I feel the impulse to write about. I hope these short posts provide camaraderie for your own creative and spiritual life.